Nathan Lieuwen

Nathan Lieuwen

Lieuwen in April 2016.
Born (1991-08-08) August 8, 1991
Abbotsford, British Columbia
Height 6 ft 5 in (196 cm)
Weight 192 lb (87 kg; 13 st 10 lb)
Position Goaltender
Catches Left
AHL team
Former teams		 San Antonio Rampage
Buffalo Sabres
NHL Draft 167th overall, 2011
Buffalo Sabres
Playing career 2012–present

Nathan Lieuwen (born August 8, 1991) is a Canadian ice hockey goaltender who is currently playing with the San Antonio Rampage in the American Hockey League (AHL). On June 25, 2011 he was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. He was selected in the 6th round, 167th overall.

Playing career

Lieuwen playing for the WHL's Kootenay Ice in 2011.

Lieuwen was selected 16th overall in the first round of the 2005 WHL Bantam Draft by the Kootenay Ice, after a championship season with the Abbotsford Hawks Bantam AAA team. Lieuwen backstopped the Hawks to the Western Canadian Championship earning Top Goalie, and All-Star awards.

In his first season with the Kootenay Ice, Lieuwen was a passenger in a roll-over car accident. Lieuwen went from a highly touted young phenom, to a WHL back-up tender, then sent down to the BCHL's Westside Warriors in Westbank, BC. That next summer he represented Canada, as the starting goaltender at the Ivan Hlinka tournament in Slovakia where Canada won the gold. Returning to the Kootenay Ice in 2008–09, Lieuwen found himself sharing ice time, and still experiencing post-concussion symptoms, all from the roll-over accident. Despite this all, he played for Team Cherry at the Home Hardware Top Prospects Game. He went undrafted later that June, and was passed over for the World Junior camps in the summer.

In his 18-year-old year with the Ice, he was still splitting ice time. After getting run over by a Calgary Hitman player, and hitting his head against the goalpost, he was sent home to recover. He later returned to the Ice, but didn't progress far into the playoffs. Lieuwen worked hard all summer to get back into the form he was in 3 years earlier. Coming back as a 19-year-old, Lieuwen helped the Ice advance deep into the playoffs, with 3 shutouts - winning 11 games in a row and eventually becoming the WHL champions and earning MVP honours (April 2011).

On May 4, 2012, Lieuwen was signed by the Buffalo Sabres to a three-year entry-level contract.[1] On March 16, 2014, he was called up from the American Hockey League's Rochester Americans to replace the injured Michal Neuvirth,[2] and made his NHL debut that night when he replaced an injured Jhonas Enroth in a game against the Montreal Canadiens.[3]

Lieuwen made his first NHL start on the road against the Calgary Flames on March 18, 2014.[4] He recorded his first NHL win at home on April 1, 2014 against the New Jersey Devils.[5] Lieuwen suffered yet another concussion in the April 6, 2014 contest, ending his season.[6]

Lieuwen was a restricted free agent at the conclusion of the 2015–16 season. He was not tendered a qualifying offer from the Sabres, thus making him an unrestricted free agent.[7] On July 18, 2016, Lieuwen opted to continue his career in the AHL, signing a one-year deal with the San Antonio Rampage, an affiliate to the Colorado Avalanche.[8]

Career statistics

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP W L OTL MIN GA SO GAA SV% GP W L MIN GA SO GAA SV%
2007–08 Westside Warriors BCHL 13 9 2 0 710 23 0 1.95 .931 — — — — — — — —
2007–08 Kootenay Ice WHL 3 1 1 1 184 10 0 3.27 .910 — — — — — — — —
2008–09 Kootenay Ice WHL 37 14 12 2 1915 94 3 2.95 .885 — — — — — — — —
2009–10 Kootenay Ice WHL 26 10 10 0 1244 64 0 3.09 .896 3 0 1 125 4 0 1.91 .892
2010–11 Kootenay Ice WHL 55 33 16 4 3098 144 3 2.79 .903 19 16 3 1178 44 3 2.24 .923
2011–12 Kootenay Ice WHL 57 27 20 8 3340 139 3 2.50 .914 4 0 4 238 14 0 3.53 .896
2012–13 Greenville Road Warriors ECHL 27 14 10 2 1598 78 1 2.93 .903 — — — — — — — —
2012–13 Rochester Americans AHL 4 1 2 0 204 9 1 2.65 .919 — — — — — — — —
2013–14 Rochester Americans AHL 32 17 11 2 1796 70 2 2.34 .922 — — — — — — — —
2013–14 Buffalo Sabres NHL 7 1 4 0 363 18 0 2.98 .906 — — — — — — — —
2014–15 Rochester Americans AHL 16 4 9 0 821 45 0 3.29 .883 — — — — — — — —
2015–16 Rochester Americans AHL 28 14 11 2 1590 77 2 2.91 .909 — — — — — — — —
NHL totals 7 1 4 0 363 18 0 2.98 .906 — — — — — — — —

Awards and honours

Awards Year
WHL
Playoff MVP 2010–11 [9]

References

  1. ↑ "Buffalo signs Nathan Lieuwen". Twitter. 2012-05-04. Retrieved 2012-05-04.
  2. ↑ "Sabres goalie Neuvirth hurt, prospect Lieuwen summoned". NBC Sports. 2014-03-16. Retrieved 2014-03-16.
  3. ↑ "Lieuwen shines in Sabres loss". WIVB. 2014-03-16. Retrieved 2014-03-18.
  4. ↑ "Flames face untested newcomer in Sabres' Nathan Lieuwen". CBC Sports. 2014-03-18. Retrieved 2014-03-18.
  5. ↑ The Star Ledger April 2, 2014. pg. 54
  6. ↑ "Buffalo Sabres injury grows with three more hurt". ESPN. 2014-04-06. Retrieved 2014-04-07.
  7. ↑ Oklobzija, Kevin (27 June 2016). "Sabres qualify Catenacci; Lieuwen and 3 others set free". Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  8. ↑ "Rampage sign Simpson, Lieuwen". San Antonio Rampage. 2016-07-18. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
  9. ↑ "Ice's Lieuwen plays with faith and a smile". National Post. 2011-05-21. Retrieved 2011-05-22.
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